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Child care changes

Published (5/2/2008)
By Patty Ostberg
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Family care providers would have to comply with a few new regulations, under a bill passed 104-27 by the House April 28.

HF3376, sponsored by Rep. Neva Walker (DFL-Mpls), would remove a program loophole that allows families to receive paid assistance for caring for their own children in a child care setting.

Other changes in the bill include:

• creating a Child Care Advisory Task Force to make recommendations to the Legislature on removing barriers facing families applying for and receiving child care assistance;

• requiring participants in the Minnesota Family Investment Program to maintain eligibility by developing either an employment plan or family stabilization services plan;

• consolidating state laws with federal laws in regard to MFIP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families;

• modifying the Basic Sliding Fee allocation formula to distribute funds to counties for unmet family needs; and

• requiring counties and American Indian tribes to not impose residency requirements on families, except under state residency requirements.

A successful amendment offered by House Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R-Marshall) would prohibit MFIP enrollees from using monthly cash assistance payments to purchase tobacco, lottery tickets or alcoholic beverages.

“The cash portion of MFIP can be used for almost anything,” Seifert said. Grocers from his district told him they’ve seen MFIP recipients using the state issued ATM/debit card for those items, he said.

Walker said while you can’t go to the cash register and purchase the items directly with the card, people could use the small portion of cash funds. “Yes, there’s gonna be some waste, but can you imagine spending your amount of money that you barely have ... on alcohol,” she said. The odds are, most individuals are not doing this, she said.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-Mpls) is the sponsor.

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